M11 Monochromvs Q3 43
Leica
M11 Monochrom (2023)
Starting from £8300 new
Best for Black & White Photography
View M11 Monochrom
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Black & White Photography — M11 Monochrom (2023): The M11 Monochrom is the finest black-and-white camera in the world. A 60MP sensor with no colour filter array produces sharpness and tonal depth no colour camera can match — combined with extended high-ISO performance. Manual focus, no video, and an extraordinary price make it a specialist instrument, but for dedicated B&W photographers it is unmatched.
Documentary, Portrait & Reportage Photography — Q3 43 (2024): The Q3 with the most human lens — 43mm, 60MP, and Leica rendering at its most natural and versatile.
Who should buy what
M11 Monochrom (2023)
- Dedicated black-and-white photographers who demand the finest possible monochrome files
- Fine art and documentary photographers who work exclusively in B&W
- Leica M system users who want maximum monochrome image quality
- Astrophotographers — monochrome sensors excel at capturing fine star detail
Q3 43 (2024)
- Portrait and documentary photographers who find 28mm too wide and 50mm too tight
- Q3 owners who prefer a natural 43mm perspective over the iconic 28mm Summilux
- Reportage photographers who want the discreet Q3 form factor with a more intimate focal length
- Leica system users who want a fixed-lens body that excels across multiple genres
Quick take: The m11 monochrom has the highest resolution at 60mp; the q3 43 is the most affordable; only the q3 43 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | M11 Monochrom (2023) | Q3 43 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £8,300 | £6,995 |
| Sensor | 60.3MP Full-Frame Monochrome BSI CMOS (no colour filter array) | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.3MP | 60.0MP |
| Video | — | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log |
| Autofocus | Manual focus rangefinder (no autofocus) | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection |
| Stabilisation | — | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 15fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~700 shots (CIPA) | ~350 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 530g (body only) | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 138.6 × 80.0 × 38.5mm | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical rangefinder, 0.73× magnification | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED |
| Screen | 2.3" touchscreen LCD, 2.33M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots |
| Mount | Leica M-mount | Fixed Summicron-M 43mm f/2 ASPH (43mm — closest to human field of view) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot + 64GB internal storage | Single UHS-II SD slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | M11 Monochrom | Q3 43 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history